James Lael Jensen (Credit: KSLTV)
Federal agents have arrested Utah oil magnate James Lael Jensen, his wife Kelly Anne Jensen, and two of their sons, Maxwell Sterling Jensen (aka “Max”) and Zachary Golden Jensen, in connection with a sprawling $300 MILLION smuggling and money laundering conspiracy tied to Mexican criminal organizations.
Court records reveal that all four members of the Jensen family were arrested on Wednesday, April 23 — with sons Max and Zachary taken into custody in the Rio Grande Valley, while James and Kelly Jensen were apprehended at their 26,893-square-foot mansion in Sandy, Utah, reportedly worth over $9.1 million.
The arrest was carried out by the U.S. Marshals Violent Fugitive Apprehension Team, equipped with a battering ram and tactical gear, according to KSLTV.
“James Jensen conspired with his wife, Kelly Jensen, and two of his sons, Maxwell and Zachary Jensen, to launder proceeds from sales of illegally imported crude oil,” a warrant filed for James Jensen’s arrest states.
“The payments for this crude oil were directed to businesses in Mexico that operate only through the permission of Mexican criminal organization. James Jensen was aware that the payments he made were going to these Mexican criminal organizations.”
According to KRGV, ” Federal court records say that they have been ordered to report to the Brownsville federal courthouse by Thursday, May 8, where their sons have already made their initial court appearance.”
WATCH:
According to an unsealed federal indictment reviewed by The Gateway Pundit dated April 17, the Jensens ran a complex scheme to fraudulently import and disguise crude oil shipments—nearly 3,000 in total—falsely declaring them as waste oils or petroleum distillates to evade customs regulations under the U.S. Tariff Act.
Prosecutors allege that the Jensens’ operation involved elaborate financial transactions designed to “conceal and disguise the nature, location, source, ownership, and control of the proceeds,” including high-dollar purchases of vehicles and properties using illicit funds.
The Jensens are now facing a five-count federal indictment:
Count One: All four family members are charged with conspiracy to launder money derived from smuggling operations.
Counts Two and Three: James and Max Jensen are accused of aiding and abetting the smuggling of merchandise and using false documentation to deceive customs authorities.
Counts Four and Five: Both James and Kelly Jensen allegedly spent proceeds of the illegal activity on major purchases—such as cashier’s checks for high-end car dealerships.
Court records show the family entered not guilty pleas to the charges in federal court.
In one of the largest criminal forfeiture efforts of 2025 to date, prosecutors are moving to seize a jaw-dropping array of assets tied to the scheme, including:
Four massive tank barges used for transporting the oil.
Three luxury Peterbilt trucks.
A 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, a 2023 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, and a 2024 GMC Sierra.
A 12.69-acre estate in Rio Hondo, Texas, and the family’s $9.2 million mansion in Draper, Utah, previously featured in luxury real estate magazines.
Bank accounts tied to Arroyo Terminals, LLC and Big Hog Energy, LLC, believed to be shell entities used to launder proceeds.
Magistrate Judge Karen Betancourt signed an order on May 6, 2025, allowing James and Kelly Jensen to post reduced appearance bonds—$200,000 for James and $100,000 for Kelly, each with a 10% cash deposit.
The couple, previously restricted in their movements, can now travel freely across the Southern and Western Districts of Texas to prepare their defense.
Their son, Maxwell Jensen, was also granted a $750,000 bond with a $75,000 deposit, paid on May 9, 2025.
If convicted, they each face up to 20 years in federal prison.
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